Anyone a Doctor Who fan? Just think Doomsday while reading this…Also, from now on we're back to only Nina's POV… also… the pool thing… let's just say I have issues.

Chapter 20

House of Alone

Have you ever fallen into an unopened pool on Easter in New England? If you haven't you won't understand the feeling of being plunged into freezing cold only to come up to air that once felt warm, but now only helps push the chill deeper into your bones. When I finally pried my eyes open that is how I felt. The Du'at before me had disappeared and I found myself in my dorm back in Egypt. Someone (probably Eddie since I don't know who else could have brought me out of the Du'at) had placed me in my bed, and I was so cold I refused to get out from under my sheets despite knowing I needed answers.

The silver box with my name on it worked almost as if it was me. I was attracted to it the way one is attracted to their own fundamental nature. I'd known I should not touch it, should not give Raet what she wanted, but the box brought down my inhabitations and Raet only pushed me forwards. If the chill that surrounded me said anything, something had gone wrong, but I was so cold I couldn't possibly get out of bed. Not even the wafting smell of waffles could draw me from my covers.

"Fabian! Eddie! I'm awake and need to talk to you." Assuming they had been the ones who brought me here they must be downstairs waiting for me to awake. Obviously they'd thought I'd be out longer, because it was quite unlike my boys not to have both of them at my side the second I woke up. Waking up alone was a shock.

Since I didn't hear any thundering footsteps as my friends came to greet me, I once again called. When I still wasn't getting a response, I finally gave up and, despite the chill hovering at the base of my spine, moved to go downstairs.

The waffles I'd smelt only moments before cooking to perfection were now in the pan burning. Nile, Elena, Elizabeth, Justin, Patricia, Eddie, and Fabian all crowded around the one table stains lining their face where only the tears had wiped away the grime. Calling again I tried to alert them to my presence, only to discover they still weren't responding.

"What you're thinking is correct," Anubis, who'd appeared besides me, confirmed. "They can't hear you because you're still in the Du'at."

Looking around I scanned the kitchen for the little ripples I could grab as the Chosen One to pass from one side to the other. These ripples always assured me of what side I was on because in the Du'at they held a green tint. Now, however, I saw nothing. "This doesn't look like the Du'at," I dumbly stated. (Because arguing with a god surely would turn out well.)

"Nina there's something you need to know…" An always awkward Anubis began running his fingers through a pile of messy hair. Before he could continue, however, it was Elena who spoke.

"Look on the bright side, Raet lost the shadow so she lost everything. From what I'm hearing she's retreated into the shadows afraid what her failed bid for power might mean. Horus is furious and said that if he saw her again for a century she'd be meeting Apophis before the sun chariot rose again."

Apparently, whatever had them down was not just going to be forgotten because I somehow defeated Raet by releasing a shadow, whatever that meant, because Fabian threw his chair to the ground and stormed out of the room. Dashing after him I screamed into his ear that I was right here, but he didn't seem to hear me. I felt the wall of separation invisible between us. We both were there, right on the other side, but we just couldn't reach each other. I could place my hand on his cool chest, but he couldn't feel it. I was a ghost in my own realm.

The minute the word ghost passed through my mind panic took hold and I dashed to the bathroom to vomit. Trembling, I barely noticed Anubis creeping up to my side a sympathetic look decorating his face. "Nina I was trying to tell you…"

"I'm dead," my voice came out shaky as I covered my mouth in shock. "That's why I can't find the other side of the Du'at, because I'm no longer the Chosen One, I'm dead. I don't, I can't…" Anubis tilted his head sympathy flying from him in every direction. "Anubis, please tell me it isn't true."

"I promised to never lie to you Nina," the god softly murmured, "and as a man of my word I can't tell you that. That box… it was a shadow box. It contained a part of your soul untouched by your Chosen One spirit. It is just as human as anything else. When you pulled Eddie back to life after Anet killed him, you left your shadow here in the Du'at… it was no big deal, but your shadow was stuck here. When you opened the box, your shadow re-attached to you preventing you from leaving. I don't know if I would call you dead because your ka is still within you, but you're stuck, in the Du'at."

"But there has to be something you can do!" Anubis was a god. He ruled the Du'at. "You or Osiris or somebody must be able to send me back! Disconnect my shadow again or… I need to be back with Fabian."

Anubis pulled me into a tight hug while the tremors in my body became too much for me to stand-alone. "Shhh," he whispered in my ear rocking me like a child. "We'll figure something out. I'll get you back to him."

Once my legs stopped acting as jell-o, Anubis released me so I could go and sit back on the bed next to Fabian. As if the thought of being forever separated wasn't bad enough, I felt his grief like a knife. At least I could see my love, stay by his side, hear his cool voice. Fabian didn't even know I was here.

"You can pass through!" I cried jumping up from the bed and running so my hands rested on Anubis' biceps. "You can tell him I'm okay and here so he won't worry… you can tell him I love him and will be back."

"Nina," Anubis' grip was tight as he forced me to pull my eyes away from the love of my life. "I can't go to him. He can't see me and with you dead Eddie is no longer the Osirian. There is no Osirian anymore because… because I refuse to pick a new Chosen One. I refuse to believe I can't get you back."

"But he has to know I'm okay," I pleaded wiping a tear from my eye. "He has to know I love him."

"Don't be a fool. He doesn't need me to tell him that to know," Anubis comforted. "But you can't stay here Nina. It's not safe for you to be alone in the Du'at without powers over death. Come back with me to the throne room. I won't send you over to the other side, but you can stay by my side until we figure out how to get you home… and we will figure out how to get you home.

"I can't leave him," I repeated, though I knew Anubis was right. Still, the idea of leaving Fabian's side, even when he couldn't know of my presence, was like the final dagger that killed Caesar.

"You're not leaving, leaving implies a sense of finality. You're just lighting the fire so when he returns to you the house is already warm."

Anubis wasn't giving me a choice. I might no longer be his Chosen One, but I had no doubt that he loved me as much as a god can love. He'd have thrown me over his shoulder and dragged me to the throne room if need be. With a final, guilty, glance at the boy whom I'd caused so much pain, I stepped into the darkness of the Du'at the prince of Death at my side.

Okay… I never planned on ending it here, but I think this means 2 shorter sequels. The first one will probably be written this week, because when I say short I mean short, but like I said this is a story of Nina's death, and the next can be a story of her fight for life. Thank you very much my friends for your endurance. If you're reading this it means a lot to me.